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A House committee has advanced a bill aimed at exempting Kansas from the federal health care overhaul. State Representative Brett Hildabrand, a Shawnee Republican, said that if the bill ends up passing, it could move Kansas towards gaining more control over federal health care programs. “The broad federal approach tries to apply a cookie-cutter approach to every state. I believe that’s too broad and we need to put it back at the state level,” Hildabrand said. Two Democrats on the committee...

The Kansas House has approved the 2015 budget for the Department of Corrections, authorizing more than $390 million for state prisons and programs. The bill passed 79-41 on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate and restoring the funding that was vetoed last year by Gov. Sam Brownback. The spending covers the fiscal year beginning July 1 and includes funding for additional corrections officers and increased health care costs. Lawmakers amended the bill Wednesday to place restrictions on...